Stiff Shifting 4-speed
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 35
From: LaUgH, mOrE!
Stiff Shifting 4-speed
The 4-speed shifter seems somewhat stiff to shift. It's an original '79 with only 11,200 miles, L82. I lubed the linkages underneath the car. No changes, really. It's not super stiff, just doesn't seem to flow freely from 1-2nd, 2nd-3rd, etc. Any ideas on how to check/lube it? Thank you.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 35
From: LaUgH, mOrE!
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Try this and see if it changes things. Just so you don't have to climb under the car. Remove the shift ****,spring and T , put a pan on the ground under the shifter ,shoot WD_40 down the shift lever hole where the T came out of while moving the shifter through the gears. If this helps ,the shifter is probably dirty and in need of cleaning.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 35
From: LaUgH, mOrE!
Try this and see if it changes things. Just so you don't have to climb under the car. Remove the shift ****,spring and T , put a pan on the ground under the shifter ,shoot WD_40 down the shift lever hole where the T came out of while moving the shifter through the gears. If this helps ,the shifter is probably dirty and in need of cleaning.
I'll give it a shot. Literally.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Get it changed.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I put 11,000 miles on mine last year, if it's a 30 year old car with 11,200 miles on it then that's probably not the only thing that's gonna need to be freed up from lack of use. Did you buy it new ? 
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 35
From: LaUgH, mOrE!
Thanks folks.
7T1Vette: Yes, it may have the original tranny fluid. I'll have to change it.
Motorhead: I bought it one year ago. It had 9600 original miles on it--a true garage queen. Kinda crazy how people own these beauties and don't drive them. I've replaced the brake calipers & lines, water pump, air filter, hoses and belts, all fluids except the tranny fluid, etc., etc. Tuned it with the help of another forum member. It runs great. Drives straight.
7T1Vette: Yes, it may have the original tranny fluid. I'll have to change it.
Motorhead: I bought it one year ago. It had 9600 original miles on it--a true garage queen. Kinda crazy how people own these beauties and don't drive them. I've replaced the brake calipers & lines, water pump, air filter, hoses and belts, all fluids except the tranny fluid, etc., etc. Tuned it with the help of another forum member. It runs great. Drives straight.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 35
From: LaUgH, mOrE!
Try this and see if it changes things. Just so you don't have to climb under the car. Remove the shift ****,spring and T , put a pan on the ground under the shifter ,shoot WD_40 down the shift lever hole where the T came out of while moving the shifter through the gears. If this helps ,the shifter is probably dirty and in need of cleaning.
Anyway, I don't mind crawling under these things... I've done it plenty. I just didn't know the linkages below the manual shifter were exposed. Which, of course, there are. They looked pretty clean, so I sprayed them with white silicon grease from below.
Wow, what a difference! Shifts like butter. Thanks for the help.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
Well, first... note to self: "Secure WD-40 straw with serious tape to sprayer before sticking down small hole in shifter... or it may fall in."
Anyway, I don't mind crawling under these things... I've done it plenty. I just didn't know the linkages below the manual shifter were exposed. Which, of course, there are. They looked pretty clean, so I sprayed them with white silicon grease from below.
Wow, what a difference! Shifts like butter. Thanks for the help.
Anyway, I don't mind crawling under these things... I've done it plenty. I just didn't know the linkages below the manual shifter were exposed. Which, of course, there are. They looked pretty clean, so I sprayed them with white silicon grease from below.
Wow, what a difference! Shifts like butter. Thanks for the help.
